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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25289452">Imperfections</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dchdsy/pseuds/dchdsy'>dchdsy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Advanced Technology, Dystopia, F/F, More tags to be added?, Mutation, Science has taken over, Supernatural Abilities, futuristic AU, genetic manipulation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:28:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,113</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25289452</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dchdsy/pseuds/dchdsy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In search for perfection, humanity had managed to reach Utopia. But even after the hard work and calculations of the best, they couldn't evade the fact that one day "Everything good came to an end". Chaos engulfed a once peaceful world, dragging it down into flames. War stretched on for decades, the Utopia crumbling down bits by bits until all that was left was... Dystopia.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue: Our Once Utopia</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Summary probably needs some rework haha... and to think I came up with this story like months ago lol. Yep that's right, this idea probably popped up into my mind one genetics lesson and album name later... I'd like to mention that any science related errors you may find are all totally mine... probably some grammar ones too... well if you find anything, please tell me~<br/>Enjoy</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Different from animals, humans aren’t driven by only the sense of survival. They always saw forward, looking for any hole into the armor leading them towards a better future.</p>
<p>Each century, or even each decade, the news would flash with the most recent invention or research that would improve the quality of human life, as much as some would argue it’s perfect already.</p>
<p>Among all these researchers, a few bright ones with the highest IQ found around the world, were gathered to work with a hidden project. All the work behind the project was kept a secret from the public eye until its purpose was revealed. Though even then, the full means and effects were still only told to classified people.</p>
<p>This project didn’t focus on inventions anymore. It wasn’t a flying car, an artificial intelligence or any other combination of earthly materials. Instead it was a dive deep into the DNA of a human being. Specific people had been chosen as experiments, each having at least one ‘characteristic’ that the world would consider inappropriate. One was physically weak, the other mentally underdeveloped and another jumping between life and death.</p>
<p>So in conclusion, the researchers sought to build the perfect human.</p>
<p>It had taken decades of experimenting, but eventually the researchers had managed to mutate a genetic code and transfer it into the bodies of all test subjects, rewriting even the genetic code of babies in the process. The amount of failed tries or lost subjects didn’t matter when the final trial proved that their test person came up on top in different fields: wisdom and strength included.</p>
<p>More experiments the following months proved that they had finally found the right genes and the right way to reshuffle or rewrite the life code of people. They presented this new “invention” to the government and immediately got the approval to invest further and share this research with the whole world.</p>
<p>So in the following years, the entire population had fallen into the researcher’s hands. In a sense, they had fulfilled every family’s wish of their child being better than them.</p>
<p>All the ‘bad’ had been eliminated. No more genetic illnesses and no more “waste of resources” people. In other words, it was the beginning of a <em>Utopia</em>.</p>
<p>But as many of the “old world” would have said – or at least that’s what the “new world” can only guess – <em>everything good eventually comes to an end.</em></p>
<p>Even after the creation of the so called Utopia, the researchers were maintaining a list of the entire population and their data, consisting here of family info, IQ level, talents etc. People referred to it as the “GM Chart”, the only source of knowledge about genetically manipulated humans.</p>
<p>So of course the researchers would be the first to notice the changes. Many names on the chart blinked red, but the public knew nothing about this.</p>
<p>At first it was simply considered a side effect of the mutated genes, since it was only a small lowering or raising of the normal IQ quota, so it was ignored, left as a chore to do for later to ever improve the perfect man.</p>
<p>But that was their mistake.</p>
<p>What started as just wavering of people’s neural perception was twisted into more deformations. The researchers had reached what was thought to be impossible.</p>
<p>But even at the face of a greater risk, they still refused to let go of perfection. So slowly, what was thought of only possible in horror fantasies became reality.</p>
<p>It had begun small, still related to the human body and mind, like greater strength or improved eyesight. But then it changed into something even greater. People started manipulating even things around them, levitating became possible, control over atoms in the air was granted to one’s hand, the magnetic field became one with them and the list went on.</p>
<p>But yet again, the <em>Utopia</em> allowed people to see only one side of the whole story. Chased down were the people who didn’t get so lucky with their manipulated genes, the mutation instead only deteriorating their body further. Even the mind lost function at some point.</p>
<p>With one side granted ‘superpowers’ and another being rendered to mindless monster, the utopia was destroyed, mercilessly dragged into chaos.</p>
<p>Now there was a better term for their “new world”, namely <em>Dystopia.</em></p>
<p>Cities burned down and countries got torn. The world was again divided.</p>
<p>It took a few more decades of mindless fighting, until a group of GMVs dug their roots under safe ground, building what today is known as the Research Academy. Thick, reinforced walls were built around it, protecting it from any attacks.</p>
<p>And thus, the dystopian world was divided into three.</p>
<p>Some didn’t agree to the Law bestowed by the elder GMVs. To them it was robbing their identity and true self as an excuse to solve their own mistake. Refusing to cooperate, these people were thrown outside the academy, dubbed as rouges.</p>
<p>The rest who had decided to sacrifice everything for the sake of security were given assignments to protect the academy while more researchers locked themselves to find another way to a second utopia.</p>
<p>Then there were the last – and in this case also the least – the <em>Outcasts</em>. These were the unfortunate people who had turned into mindless monster, resembling the stories of zombies. These ‘monsters’ were the main danger to the Research Academy alongside the rouges.</p>
<p>“Please step forward.” A monotone voice broke through the silence. It held no politeness, warmth or anything the ‘previous’ world would have cherished. The sentence was directed at a young girl sitting alone in the middle of a dark room. She blinked once, twice, and then got up, following the man in a white uniform. People like him were the only she had ever seen, and it made her wonder if all the others in the academy were the same.</p>
<p>Outcasts weren’t just creatures from the population before the academy. It was unfortunately possible for a normal born baby to develop signs of deteriorating. It was why the Genetically Manipulated Vessels, or the GMVs, were divided into ranks. The Rank1 was in easy words: The ‘Bad’ Rank.</p>
<p>They were kept in isolation and the researchers in charge waited for their rank to ‘upgrade’, or otherwise, the eventual signs of mental deterioration and physical deformation. In the case of the later, these people would be dubbed as outcasts and thrown away, in most cases shot down.</p>
<p>The girl blinked again, a bright light flashing right into her eye. It was a weekly routine, being dragged out and into this room with numerous medical tests and knowledge exams. Sometimes it was harder to keep up with the advanced exercises, but the researchers wouldn’t give her a break even if she asked for one.</p>
<p>The last test was always a written one, so seeing the paper was a relief. The researchers would always nod pleased when she finished, and it gave the girl hopes that she was getting better each day.</p>
<p>Yet she was still stuck here.</p>
<p>The doors cricked open and the same faceless voice called for her, returning back to another routine of following a white coat until they arrive in front of a monitor. There she would always be guided to stand in front of the monitor, a soft green light emitting from it and onto her eyes.</p>
<p>
  <em> <span class="u">Welcome</span> </em>
</p>
<p>Its robotic voice started. The girl could only guess that the strongly reinforced room could only be opened after confirmation of the identity of its ‘inhabitant’.</p>
<p>
  <em> <span class="u">Vessel 175<br/>Minji Kim, Age 12<br/>GMV-GAH<br/>GA: Unclassified<br/>Rank1</span> </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Through my Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 1: Through my Eyes</strong>
</p>
<p>While still a child, the new GMVs in the Research Academy are put through a set routine after their ability upgrades to Rank2. It followed the same lessons and activities for the next couple of years into the future, until finally, the new vessels were ready for the more advanced lessons, mainly upgrading their GA and training in combat – albeit the academy always made a point to let the kids know no danger would befall them within the reinforced walls.</p>
<p>Routine was set to ensure nothing got out of hand, meaning nothing was at risk from within secure walls. They were supposed to make the children more patient and mature, let them understand the importance of the academy rules in this Dystopia.</p>
<p>In other words: boring.</p>
<p>The last time she had said this, a long lecture on rules, respect and perspective – and some other things she had forgotten by now – was thrown at her. For the next 24 hours, the girl had to stay alone in an empty room, isolated from the rest of the academy.</p>
<p>With time, she had come to learn that these rooms weren't usually used on students, rather for outsider creatures. This however was a detail she had to keep to herself, none of the other students viewing her escapades as anything prideful.</p>
<p>Following the white tiled floor leading towards the youth’s dorms, the girl hummed a tune, her voice jumping low and high, earning some weirded out glances from the other GMVs. Sometimes she forgot a lot of the old world had already vanished from existence in this time.</p>
<p>Rounding the corner, the girl was met with one of the white coated professors, his lips morphed into a frown while his hands and attention were occupied by a cart filled with test tubes and exam papers. He didn’t look to be having the best day, the girl thought. Upon seeing a shape in front of him, the professor raised his eyes to look at whoever had blocked his way, meeting eyes with the young girl. She smiled warmly at him, head lightly leaning towards the side, reddish brown hair swaying to imaginary wind, a gleam in her eyes accompanying the movement.</p>
<p>And then she was gone.</p>
<p>The professor blinked. GMVs weren’t his field, but this one could be a teleporter. He’d still need to describe her appearance to the council, the use of GA outside of classes was strictly forbidden for the students.</p>
<p>Deciding to not waste any more time on pondering - he did have work to finish after all, the man pushed the cart forward again. Near the corner waited another surprise however. Almost tripping on his feet, the professor had to clumsily try to stabilize the test tubes, forgetting his jaw open, the sight comical and amusing to passerby students.</p>
<p>The surprise this time came in the form of a half naked woman, leaning against the wall in an obvious seductive position, eyes glued to the professor as if he were her most prized possession, bottom lip tight between her teeth.</p>
<p>A blush adorned the man’s cheeks, mouth opening and closing like a fish. He could hear laughter somewhere far in the background, but his mind was too busy questioning if the woman was really calling him or if this was all just a dream-</p>
<p>Oh, a dream.</p>
<p>Upon that thought, as if the timer had run off, the image of the woman shattered into nothingness, making the professor realize he had in fact never moved from his position, the girl from before still in front of him.</p>
<p>Ah, the auburn haired troublemaker. The council had mentioned her a few times too many already. Still too much in disarray, the professor hadn’t noticed the colleague behind the girl, her expression stern as she stared at the child. Considering her still ongoing laughter, neither had the young GMV.</p>
<p>“Vessel 910, your attendance is required in Isolation Wing.” The cold voice startled the youth, who jumped suddenly and hit the cart, snapping the professor out of his self-induced daydreams. “I hope you’ll learn your lesson this time.”</p>
<p>The girl gulped.</p>
<p>
  <em>Shit.</em>
</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>Kim Minji blinked, her head tilting to the side in confusion. She had clearly heard the door to her 'house' open, which meant the white clothed people had come to examine her condition, something she had gotten used to (to the point it all sounded normal to her) for the past years, but the timing was off.</p>
<p>Even when there had been wavering in her stats, for the researchers to return at such time was unusual.</p>
<p>Planting her feet on the floor by the side of her bed, the girl steadied herself as she left the room to see which researcher was approaching from the balcony.</p>
<p>Kim Minji blinked, again, confusion growing stronger as instead she came to meet an unfamiliar face.</p>
<p>Her hair was of a weird color (weird to her, who had only seen the white clothed men for over a decade), frame small, grin wide and eyes gleaming with something she missed in all the researchers.</p>
<p>(Life? Something Minji had noticed over the years was that the researchers were very dull in their actions, not showing any signs of reciprocation or interest to her spontanious desires.)</p>
<p>The girl stared up at her, a satisfied expression spreading on her features. She quickly ran up the stairs, examining the area.</p>
<p>Usually she would spend her detention in a single small room without light, but this one was more spacious, a part of it elevated to give the illusion of a balcony, a bed, table and small bathroom behind the safety bars.</p>
<p>"What are you doing here?" The girl's voice held no concrete emotion, and neither did her expression, but the troublemaker didn't care to pay much attention, rather happy to finally find someone in this hell of a place, momentarily ignoring the fact not just anyone made it in isolation.</p>
<p>"I used my GA to trick the guards haha!" She laughed loudly, earning a confused look from the taller girl. She still kept a safe distance away from the illusionist.</p>
<p>"Were you not afraid this would be the room of an outcast?" Minji spoke calmly, a tint of curiosity present in her voice. This was her first interaction with someone different, an outsider, and it scared her as much as it excited her.</p>
<p>The auburn haired girl blinked in place, a hand dropping to her side while her eyebrows furrowed. "I never thought of that."</p>
<p>Minji felt herself exhale.</p>
<p>"I'm confident I'd beat their remaining cells outta them anyway!" Small fists balled up in front of the girl's face, her eyes sparking with fire. Minji tilted her head to the side. "Or well... the Researchers would find out I'm here in a short time anyway. The hallways have cameras and i can scream pretty loudly."</p>
<p>Minji nodded, her eyes still glued to the girl's expression, who in turn was starting to get annoyed as the seconds ticked by.</p>
<p>"Anyway! What's your name?" As soon as it came, the annoyance was gone. The girl was talkative, something Minji wasn't that used to, the last time she could remember someone properly talking to her was when she was being taught how to speak.</p>
<p>"Vessel 175." She answered in a small voice. The other burst out in laughter, confusion building within Minji, a weight of having done a grave mistake settling itself in her chest.</p>
<p>(Considering she always had to worry about dropping her results in the weekly examinations, making mistakes in anything had started becoming something she didn't look forward to.)</p>
<p>"No, you silly! I'm sure no one was lame enough to name you Vessel One-Seven-Five." ("<em>And this place is lame" she </em>adds in her mind) while still laughing, the girl took steps closer to the taller, almost missing the other flinch and take small steps back.</p>
<p>"Hey, what's wrong?"</p>
<p>The girl avoided her eyes, looking anywhere but at the auburn tresses or fiery eyes.</p>
<p>"Minji. Kim Minji." She whispered, a smile finding itself on the small girl's face, while the Rank1 still avoided eye contact.</p>
<p>"Nice to meet you Minji!" The girl brought with her a lot of emotions, so many that they suffocated Minji. "I'm Bora, Kim Bora."</p>
<p>If Bora was attentive and saw the discomfort or just too in her own world, Minji couldn't tell, but she still inhaled in relief when the other walked away and towards the 'balcony'.</p>
<p>"Bora." She tested. None of her doctors had names, at least none she knew of. Bora nodded her head, fingernails tapping against the cold metal of the balcony bars. She scanned the area again, the setting not sitting well in her mind. While the area in itself was nothing compared to the places in the academy, it was too... good to be for punishing.</p>
<p>"Minji what's your ability?" The question startled the taller girl, who had apparently gotten used to the short moment of silence, going back inside her own world. Not a very sociable one.</p>
<p>"Huh?" The girl blinked, her face partially shrowded by darkness as she favored leaning agaisnt a corner near her bed, where the weak lightbulb only passed a ray of light as an excuse of being there.</p>
<p>"Your GA? You're a GMV right? Why else would you be here?"</p>
<p>"Oh. Eh..." there was conflict in her eyes, an inner fight of sort. "I have none."</p>
<p>Bora furrowed her eyebrows. They were long passed the time only select people had genetic abilities, so for a person to be born without one was... unusual so to say.</p>
<p>The only other possible cases would be of Outcasts, who during a period after their birth, which was normally months to a couple of years, would start to show signs of deterioration, and thus be unable to activate or find out what their GA is.</p>
<p>But the girl was too old to be that. Or maybe that was simply what all students were made to believe.</p>
<p>Life in the Research Academy was perfect, there was no other place with this possibility.</p>
<p>"You..." Bora needed confirmation, but she also didn't want to voice her worry. The girl's features looked fine, hell, even fron the distance she could tell the girl was pretty and would grow up to be a beautiful woman. "You're a Rank1?"</p>
<p>Minji nodded. That also made sense. They wouldn't let a Rank1 mingle with the academy students, since the ranks would be unfair and so would her knowldge of her ability.</p>
<p>Yes, that's it.</p>
<p>"Bora." Minji's voice sounded a bit raspy, unused. Her eyes dropped again, lips in a straight line as she entered her thoughts again.</p>
<p>"My GA is Illusion, I'm Rank2." The girl smiled widely, trying to brighten up Minji's mood, something she failed at, but wouldn't let it affect her spirit just yet.</p>
<p>"I've never seen the outside." The girl's voice was small, unsure. Bora tilted her head in question. The Outside?</p>
<p>"Oh..."</p>
<p>"What's it like in the Outside?"</p>
<p>Bora leaned away from the balcony, turning her full attention to the girl. There was a lot she could talk about, but also nothing much. She didn't know what exactly the girl wanted to hear about either. Running a hand through her auburn hair, Bora hummed in thought.</p>
<p>"I'll show you."</p>
<p>Minji's mouth opened to speak again, startled by the sudden presence next to her. Bora however was quick to grab her gently by the shoulders to turn her attention on her. Now the smaller girl had the chance to properly look at Minji, noting the purple color on her soft looking hair. Upon making eye contact, Minji saw the girl dissolve in smoke.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Now where do I begin?"</em>
</p>
<p>Bora's voice resonated in her mind, the surrounding now only a swirl of white smoke. Minji moved around in panic, but there was no end to the new white dimension.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Hey, hey, calm down! I told you my ability is illusions. Now relax."</em>
</p>
<p>Taking a deep breath in, the GMV steeled herself for what's to come, her determined expression earning her another loud laughter from Bora.</p>
<p>The sound was new to her... it was nice.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Let's go with the basics."</em>
</p>
<p>The white smoke morphed into blurry images of white colored walls, escalators on multiple corners of the spacious octagon shaped building. There were signs and banners decorating the walls, but overall it looked like a formal setting of offices.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Sorry I'm still not that good with this. Anyway, for some reason the academy is divided into the Nummeral Vessel Department and the Lettercode Department. We're both from NVD."</em>
</p>
<p>Minji tried to walk around the place, palms nervously reaching out to get a feel of everything, her mind trying to remember as much detail as possible.</p>
<p>
  <em>"I don't know much about LCD, but NVD is made of 4 Wings: Academic Wing,"</em>
</p>
<p>The image faded away just as Minji was about to try ride the escalator, startling the girl and making her jump away. The white of the walls didn't change much, but this time there were faceless people frozen in time along the halls. A pause in her steps and everything was gone again, only for her eyes to blink in surprise as she found herself sat next to Bora in a room full of chairs and tables.</p>
<p>
  <em>"This is a classroom, and that is usually my friend's seat."</em>
</p>
<p>The small girl chuckled and Minji felt heat rising to her cheeks at the bright smile the girl shot her.</p>
<p>They changed locations again, this time sitting on the sidelines of an empty fighting arena.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Depending on which year you are, we have theory, practical classes and combat classes. The last one is strictly for this place. I heard the audience area is guarded by some invisible force field."</em>
</p>
<p>The arena turned to black smoke, the gas quickly reshaping itself into a small map with messy drawing, one she assumed Bora had just made out of memory.</p>
<p>
  <em>"I've never been to Lockdown Wing, but it's said that an anti-GA force field envelopes the entire area, thus being ideal for wild or uncontrollable GAs with inexperienced Holders. The field greatly weakens their abilities or even temporarily shuts them down, this depending on how strong it was to begin with."</em>
</p>
<p>Four sides of the drawn map lit up, which made Minji assume these were the Lockdown areas of the octagon building. The other girl soon confirmed her thought, now making the girl wonder if she could read them inside her illusions.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Unlike the Academic Wing which is focused in the center of the building, there's a Lockdown Wing on the south, east, west and north sides of the building. Guess they just didn't want to have to walk all the way to a specific area."</em>
</p>
<p>The blinking blue of the Lockdown Wing died down, triangular shapes being drawn outside of the octagon building in red.</p>
<p>"Is this where we are?" Minji asked, the surrounding turning back to the white smoke it was before.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Mhm. The 3rd Wing is the Isolation Wing. It has rooms to supposedly punish rebellious GMVs, detention you could say, but also to house all the newborns who's Rank has yet to improve... like your case. You already know what your room looks like so I'll tour you to mine."</em>
</p>
<p>"Are you one of the rebellious students?" There was curiosity and a sudden smirk in Minji's voice, it soon morphing into a short laugh as the image of a pouty Bora showed itself within the illusion.</p>
<p>Minji felt nice...</p>
<p>The white smoke morphed into blue and purple, finally settling into a room with 2 beds, couches, a table, wardrobe and nightstands beside the beds. It was simple, Minji noted.</p>
<p>
  <em>"I haven't decorated much, as I just moved here. The academy made me change roommates so that's how it is for now. I'll have to show you again when my roommate finally decides on a theme."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"There is also the 4th Wing, Research Wing, but that section is forbidden to all students so I'm not sure where it even is."</em>
</p>
<p>"I think my tests get taken there." Minji muses, putting a finger under her chin to try and remember. " There are a lot of screens there. And people dressed in white. Everyone is the same there."</p>
<p><em>"Professors and Researchers dress almost the same. Students also got a dresscode, the only time you don't have to wear it being during free days. The uniform we need to wear depends on your rank and year. The year is the lining detail in the uniform and the rank a band people wear on their arm, wrist, ankle or thigh."</em> </p>
<p>The smoke blew away and Minji was back in her room, eyes roaming around before landing back on Bora's closed ones.</p>
<p>"Sorry, there's a time limit." The smaller girl smiled apologetically, eyes still closed as she tried to keep her breathing cool.</p>
<p>"Does it tire you?" Minji asked, her hands traveling up to hold the ones still on her shoulders. She didn't know common human interactions, but Bora's smile encouraged her to continue the slow circles her thumb was drawing over the other's knuckles.</p>
<p>Bora exhaled shakily, gasping softly when she felt Minji's forehead weight on her own. "I'm sorry." She whispered, making Bora open her eyes to gaze into now closed ones. A warm smile found its way on her lips, something bursting within her chest at the sincerity behind words seemingly spoken as a secret between them.</p>
<p>It wasn't because Minji was one of the few who ever took into consideration how her ability affected her, but something she couldn't quite pinpoint at that moment, choosing to enjoy the short time she had rather than ponder on it.</p>
<p>"I want to show you more."</p>
<p>Minji didn't protest, understanding fron the way Bora's eyes shone that this wasn't a topic to go round of, instead only giving a small smile as her own orbs focused entirely on Bora's.</p>
<p>Just like earlier, Minji's room dissolves into smoke, waves of it dancing around them before settling down into the color green.</p>
<p>It was the first time Minji saw a garden, amazed by all the colorfullness, attention completely caught by the multiple flowers planted around.</p>
<p>This was a safe haven, Bora explained. At least it was that to her and her close friend.</p>
<p>The auburn haired illusionist wouldn't normally share such a private piece of information with anyone, but considering Minji's case, it felt safe with her.</p>
<p>The garden was a hideout for a close circle of teens, who all seeked a place away from the observation of the researchers, pondering on how everything used to be before the Dystopia, or even Utopia.</p>
<p>There were books even, and Minji was reminded of the sad reality and her limited knowledge. She was taught to speak, but not to read, this fact pulling a frown on her face.</p>
<p>The beautiful garden shattered like glass, the green crystals melting into brown, falling onto the illusionary floor, leaving behind a desert.</p>
<p>If the academy was the outside to Minji, this wasteland was the outside to Bora.</p>
<p>
  <em>"I was toured briefly outside the academy once. Everything looks so... dead. But there are still living creatures out there, all fighting for survival."</em>
</p>
<p>The desert and destroyed buildings collapsed on themselves, Minji falling with them, until her feet securely planted on soft grass again. The illusion wasn't perfect, and neither were the feeings, but she still appreciated everything.</p>
<p>It would also take some time for her to get used to illusions as a concept to begin with.</p>
<p>The grass left place for the hard floor of her room the next second, the two girls pulled out of their daydream by a robotic voice down the hall.</p>
<p>"They realized finally." Bora spoke with a voice that held a foreign emotion, one Minji could only guess came from their moment being interrupted.</p>
<p>"Minji, I'll see you again, and I'll show you more!" Bora caressed her cheeks with her thumbs, the taller girl not even realizing their change of position. "I'll introduce you to my friends too! Maybe help you learn reading..."</p>
<p>Bora's words held a lot of promises which made Minji feel a change in her heartbeat, excitement.</p>
<p>However, when the heavy doors slid open and a guard walked inside, Minji hurried to imprint Bora's features in her mind.</p>
<p>Because that was the last time she saw her.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">Vessel 910<br/>Bora Kim, Age 17<br/>GMV-GAH<br/>GA: Illusion<br/>Rank2</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And that closes up the world introductory chapters! Hope you're enjoying the read so far and are looking forward to more~<br/>As a side note, I'd like to mention that I have gotten myself a ko-fi account (the link to which you can find on my profile), so if anyone is willing to donate anything in sign of appreciation for my works, I'd be really thankful. Of course, I'll still always write fics for free, ko-fi is just on the side to motivate me to work harder each day!<br/>Thank you~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. You who I cannot see</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>what's with the titles and sight??</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 2: You who I cannot see</strong>
</p>
<p>Yoohyeon is not known to be a troublemaker, she’s rarely seen around by her fellow year. The girl is however curious, maybe too curious. What made her stand out however wasn’t that, curiosity was common between the vessels, especially those who were viewed as ‘smart’ (albeit ‘not smart enough’). The researchers had deduced an uncommon pattern with the black haired GMV, it namely being connected to her curiosity.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon wasn’t one to openly show what she was thinking most of the time, knowing her thoughts tended to pass over forbidden territory. Like for this instance, it made her wonder why the students, who were mostly too quiet and proper, had suddenly started murmuring between each-other.</p>
<p>The head teacher (who was nothing more than a robot) had come into the class as usual, but had given up the daily formality, instead approaching with a new greeting: “The Researchers have decided to call an exception this year and thus we will be getting a new student today.” It had stated, its posture perfectly straight, hands on top of her desk, consciously ignoring the soft murmurs that ignited in its classroom.</p>
<p>It was quite uncommon for the students to get a new arrival into their block, and even rarer when they joined two weeks in on the lessons. Classes in the academy were divided into fixed ‘blocks’, a number of students specifically picked to be trained together for the next five year. The blocks started being built since early childhood, so everyone was familiar with one-another. It worked as a tactic to ensure high level teamwork later on (not really anything else, not even basic human interactions).</p>
<p>So Yoohyeon’s curiosity was awakened, her back leaning against her chair, leg supporting her as she leaned back, the front of the seat lifting up. She thought that made her look slightly badass. Tapping her chin with a pen, the girl observed.</p>
<p>“She’s two years late into the block selection, but she’ll be joining us either way.” The teacher added, pressing a keypad near the edge of her table, the entrance door of the classroom sliding open.</p>
<p>Two years later into block selection… Oh, so she was already in her 20s? That was another point to add to the odd list of the newcomer. The class was only silenced when the student in question entered, her flowing purple hair contrasting strongly against the gray of her uniform. The lines along the arms and zipper were white, much like the rest of the students. No one could see a band wrapped anywhere however.</p>
<p>The silenced class roared again, this time even louder.</p>
<p>“Are you from the isolation wing?”</p>
<p>“What’s your rank?”</p>
<p>“Are you an outcast?”</p>
<p>“Do you even have a GAH?”</p>
<p>The black haired girl sitting on the other end of the classroom arched her neck up to try and peek over the heads of her classmates, a wrong move on her side as she lost balance and fell backwards, the loud noise of the impact momentarily silencing the class. Yoohyeon kept quiet, looking down as she felt all eyes on her. No matter how much she told herself she got used to the stares, she still wished to disappear in moments like this.</p>
<p>It didn’t help that the prim and proper students of the academy expected someone with high anatomy scores to be… not clumsy.</p>
<p>Looking up towards the newcomer, Yoohyeon’s lips stretched into a small smile, catching the change in the girl’s eyes, her own lips pouting as if she wanted to hold her laughter back. The girl had entered the class with her eyes filled with excitement, like a child being introduced to a new side of their ability.</p>
<p>But then as the barrage of questions returned, the light in her eyes faded like blown fire. Now they looked different, dull. Lifeless even. It reminded the girl of the eyes of the researches that one day she got the chance to witness them dragging her friend to the Lockdown Wing.</p>
<p>“Hey what’s your name?” she tried to speak as loud as possible, trying to defeat the one sided interrogation going on. The purple haired girl flinched, startled and on edge as she was.</p>
<p>“M-Minji.” Ah, even her voice was something to admire.</p>
<p>“Hi~! I’m Yoohyeon, nice to meet you!” the black haired girl gave the other a warm smile, grinning wider when the look in her eyes changed, a tiny smile forming on her lips. Paying more attention to the questions still storming around, Yoohyeon sighed deeply. She had never seen Minji around the NVD, and without knowing her vessel code she couldn’t say if she transferred from the LCD or not. The Isolation Wing was a bit too extreme, especially so provided that Minji possessed no rank band. She was definitely a Rank2 since she’s here to begin with.</p>
<p>Deciding to play the role of the shining knight in armor- wait… knight in shining armor, Yooh put her hands in front of her mouth, drawing Minji’s attention again. “Hey there’s an empty seat next to me.”</p>
<p>Purple bangs fell over her eyes as the newcomer tried to make herself as small as possible, head lowered as she navigated through the tables like she knew where everything was, the map of the class on the back of her mind. A few seconds later she carefully sat down on the table to Yoohyeon’s right. The black haired girl followed her the entire way, smiling softly when the older peaked at her with one eye.</p>
<p>Minji almost fell from her chair when the holographic screen popped up from her table and Yoohyeon had to stifle a laugh, at the same time feeling bad for her. She tried to explain everything to the older girl, maybe cheer her up once or twice…</p>
<p>But Minji refused to look up. Not to give her attention to the screen, nor the head teacher.</p>
<p>She was only physically with them.</p>
<p>
  <strong>--</strong>
</p>
<p>If Yoohyeon was being honest, she also hadn’t managed to focus completely on the class. It was nothing new anyway, so the concept of studying Minji was much more interesting. Was her ability something mind related? It would explain why she could go through the class swiftly without bumping anywhere while looking at her feet. Or why she looked like she was mentally somewhere else, maybe daydreaming.</p>
<p>The hologram on top of her desk started to shiver, the vessel anatomy example picture fading slowly until the image collapsed and the desks turned off, much like computers. That was their signal that the class had ended. The beginning of the weeks was always the most boring to Yoohyeon. They were long lessons on not the most interesting topics, less action involved, just a whole text of excessive theory.</p>
<p>Today was a… special day so to say. The 1<sup>st</sup> year GMVs will be toured around the academy’s main wing to explain the new developments the researchers had made to certain technological aspects of the wing. She had heard it was a yearly thing (could be turned to monthly if the researchers got a random inspiration wave) so there was no way out of it, only to resign to her fate and walk behind the group, the information entering one ear and exiting from the other.</p>
<p>Eventually the researchers would find a way to insert all of this information into the baby’s brain during birth.</p>
<p>Her thoughts on possible mechanics that could make her previous assumption possible were cut off when her neighbor (maybe the tour wouldn’t have been so boring if Minji wanted to talk?) took a sharp turn, her body disappearing round the corner. Yoohyeon had no time to react, only watch her run off.</p>
<p>“Hey Minji wait-!”</p>
<p>Yoohyeon wasn’t going to assume what reason Minji had for running away, but an unsettling feeling dropped onto her chest, her eyes switching between the group of GMVs and the direction the girl had run towards.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Ah to hell with rules.’</em>
</p>
<p>The head teacher was still talking, the rest of the students focused on her. Another thing she’d need to add in her notebook was the devotion some students had to listen to the same things over and over again. While the block rounded the next corner, a light breeze picked up around her, her hair flowing softly with it, breaking down to small participles as if it managed to carry her with it. Thus, the girl was gone.</p>
<p>For everyone else at least.</p>
<p>Running through the spacious corridors was only annoying her, no sign of the purple haired girl in sight. Yoohyeon grit her teeth, rolling the sleeves of her uniform up, removing her black wristband and slipping it into a pocket of her pants. She had already gone against one rule, so breaking another wouldn’t change much (maybe it would decide if she’s going for Lockdown or Isolation after this, but that’s a thought she’d rather leave to future Yooh). Each hall (and likely Wing) had multiple connection tunnels and hidden passageways, build in for emergencies back when the Researchers were still reinforcing the building. Lower rank GMVs weren’t supposed to know about them and it would mean trouble if they were ever spotted.</p>
<p>Good that they just <em>can’t see her</em>.</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>Minji didn’t know how she made it here, nor did she know where she was. All her mind was screaming at that moment was to run as far as possible, away from humans, away from the noise. She shrunk deeper into the shadows, nails digging into the skin of her head, her fingers pulling at her hair, anything just to get the sudden rush of emotions to shut down.</p>
<p>It was too much too soon. It all felt like a beautiful illusion had been broken. She wanted to see that garden, meet her friends, and see what she had showed her that day.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Bora where are you?”</em>
</p>
<p>Minji was never good with time, so she didn’t know how long she spent there, curling into herself, unable to stop the tears from leaving her eyes without her consent. So she didn’t know how long had passed before she felt the wind pick up her hair, lazily throwing them in disarray.</p>
<p>Wind?</p>
<p>The crying girl looked up, her eyes meeting with soft and worried orbs, her face scrunching in pain when she came to recognize Yoohyeon’s features. The younger girl in turn panicked, sudden thoughts of Minji running away from her rushing through her mind. Why had she not guessed the girl was probably weirded out by her!?</p>
<p>“Minji I’m sorry-”</p>
<p>The purple haired girl shook her head violently, more tears streaming down, seemingly no end to them. Her hands tried to grasp for something, breathing turning irregular as her senses just continued to get overwhelmed. Yoohyeon stood there confused, her hands balling into fists as she waited for some sort of guidance, to hear Minji’s voice give her permission, anything.</p>
<p>It wasn’t a common thing to <em>cry</em>, but Yoohyeon had witnessed it. She had seen the clear liquid run down another’s cheek as they struggled against the restraints of the researchers. She had been powerless back then, and she was powerless right now. So she did the first thing to come to mind, the first thing she could think of when putting herself in Minji’s situation.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon dropped down on her knees, arms hesitantly moving around Minji’s shoulders, pulling the girl closer to her.</p>
<p>Minji only wailed louder.</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>It had taken a lot of time and awkward sitting until Minji had finally calmed down, her tears now only random sniffles. The two were backed up against the wall, sitting closely to one another as Minji listened to Yoohyeon’s stories. The younger GMV had suggested they wait a bit longer, the redness of Minji’s face being a direct giveaway as to why.</p>
<p>Minji was amused by almost everything, but that could be due to her lack of experiences, everything was new for her.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Yoohyeon spoke again after ending another one of her stories (of her crazy adventures, she had mentioned), her attention fully on the new GMV, her hands tucked under her knees as she rocked back and forth. “You gotta meet my friends, I swear they’re awesome.”</p>
<p>A nod from Minji was all Yoohyeon needed to gently grasp her hand and literally drag her through the halls. The purple haired girl tried to memorize some of the places, but they all were a mess of confusing twists and turns, lefts and rights, her brain ending up forming a mashed potato of a map.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon would stop every now and then to make sure no one was in sight (she still believes there are surveillance cameras around the academy, but they only ever get looked at for emergencies), keeping Minji close behind her. Soon enough the two made it into a more open space of the Wing, away from the labyrinth of a location Minji had brought herself into.</p>
<p>“The area you ended up in is a sort of… storage space but also secret getaway. Basically, you are forbidden from being there.” The black haired girl spoke up, turning her head around slightly to look into Minji’s eyes. “We still have a bit of time before the next classes, so everyone should be in the cafeteria, the park or the training grounds.”</p>
<p>“I’ll show you the cafeteria first, we can grab something to eat and then find my friends.” In Minji’s place, a growl from her stomach answered instead, making the younger vessel laugh. “Food it is.”</p>
<p>Money was not a concept within the academy. Things like food and other primal necessities were provided to all Vessels equally, no payment involved, while other things which did not fall under necessities were ‘earned.’ For example, the winner of the annual block tournament would win a specific new furniture for their dorm.</p>
<p>Yea it started lame like that when you were a first year. Equality was a practiced concept, but the rank hierarchy and privileges were sometimes too obvious.</p>
<p>The first thought to pop into Minji’s mind when entering the cafeteria was: huge. This place could probably fit about 20 of her home in the Isolation Wing. In the center stood a vast variety of cuisines put on display for the Vessels to choose from, while the tables stood lined up against the walls and slightly inwards, still a safe distance away from the displays and the walking Vessels.</p>
<p>Minji’s eyes shone with stars with them as she basically flew towards the displays, the tip of her nose coming in contact with the  glass, her mouth open wide as she stared around the ‘paradise of food’. Yoohyeon shook her head softly as she laughed at the faces the other 1<sup>st</sup> years were making, the robot by the counter staying still, the system not really registering if the Vessel in front of it had picked any dessert yet.</p>
<p>The purple haired girl was so fixated on the food offered to her till her stomach was full and she couldn’t walk, that she consciously ignored Yoohyeon’s words, nothing registering in her mind.</p>
<p>“Where are the other two?” the black haired girl’s voice had stated, the Rank1 vessel feeling the other’s presence right behind her.</p>
<p>“They both got isolated again.” Another voice came. It sounded foreign, but not really, a bit louder than Yoohyeon’s, a pitch of annoyance layering over it.</p>
<p>“Yoohyeon I-” finally having decided what part of the cafeteria options she’d eliminate today, Minji turned around to face Yoohyeon, her jaw hanging open and words stuck in her throat.</p>
<p>In front of Yoohyeon stood another girl, her uniform a complete opposite to hers: turquoise patterns running down the length of her black pants, a white band wrapped firmly around her thigh, while the jacket was discarded, leaving the girl only in a dark blue sleeveless shirt. Minji swallowed as her eyes traveled further up, auburn hair tied into a high ponytail, her lips pulled into a thin line while her eyebrows scrunched into a frown.</p>
<p>The black haired 1<sup>st</sup> year had turned around to face Minji, her friend doing the same, only for the frown to disappear as shock enveloped her features.</p>
<p>“M-Mi-”</p>
<p>Minji’s eyes shone as her tears resurfaced, her legs moving on autopilot as they slammed her body into that of the auburn haired girl. A loud yelp mixed in with her laughter, the purple haired girl burying her head into the crook of the other’s neck, hugging her tightly to herself.</p>
<p>“Boraa~!”</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">Vessel 71<br/>Yoohyeon Kim, Age 18<br/>GMV-GAH<br/>GA: Invisibility<br/>Rank3</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Blinded</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 3: Blinded</strong>
</p><p>“Lock the gates and raise the density to maximum. Immediately!”</p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">Processing data…<br/>Warning! System error! War-</span>
  </em>
</p><p>The robotic voice stopped sounding out of the screen next to the heavy double doors, the entire machine exploding from the inside, chunks of it flying towards the men dressed in white lab coats. One of them frowned as he wrote down on his tablet, dragging a bar underneath by a few centimeters. Small spherical robots were already flying behind him, opening up circles on their metallic armor, arms shooting out as some picked up the broken pieces while the rest brought spare parts to fix the broken screener.</p><p>“Don’t lower the density under any circumstances.” He said; his thumb and index finger pinching the screen on the tablet, swiping up the picture displayed on it, a holographic image immediately popping up in front of the double doors.</p><p>
  <em>Vessel 101. Status: Unstable. Highly dangerous<br/>Drain, do not assist.</em>
</p><p><span class="gmail_default"></span>════════════════</p><p>Why were their eyes so empty?</p><p>Siyeon asked herself that every time.</p><p>Why did none of them show any emotions? Not even about their own well being, but also whenever they were faced with the Vessels who clearly showed suffering in their eyes. Why did they never react? Not when she screamed for help as the gates began closing.</p><p>Soon darkness took over her vision, both figuratively and literally. There was absolutely no light in here, no warmth and no comfort. Just her and her yells, left alone to scream until her throat couldn’t even whisper anymore, whatever object was in the room uncontrollably shaking until everything flew astray, colliding and exploding all together. Some would hit her too sometimes.</p><p>Yet the researchers learn fast from their mistakes, the room completely empty this time. So in her anger she searched deeper in her mind, reached further outside. Not even knowing what it was, she mentally grasped the closest thing, feeling it twist in her own mind.</p><p>Pull, push, dent, everything happened without her needing to control it. It called her subconscious like an instinct, a human’s second nature.</p><p>But with each smirk of satisfaction, there were also tears of pain, imaginary needless raining down on her until they managed to pin her entire body to the ground, her breathing coming out ragged while her limbs slowly turned numb.</p><p>Her heartbeat hurt against her chest, its hammerings against her ribcage and the pressure from outside leaving her breathless.</p><p>Siyeon simply despises the <em>Lockdown Wing</em>.</p><p>Isolation Wing and Lockdown Wing weren’t all that different to her. Possible Outcasts and Rank1s are locked in Isolation, while higher ranks are locked here. That was the fate of everyone the Researchers couldn’t control, or of those they deemed as too dangerous to roam free (at all times or only in certain situations, which was mostly the case with her).</p><p>The entire Wing was packed with Anti-GAH waves, a modified artificial atom sipping through the walls to sneak pass a Vessel’s skin, leaching off of their cell, tying itself precisely to their DNAs, interfering with the sequences responsible for their abilities. The higher the density, the stronger the waves sent out, the Wing thus working as a ‘safety room’ since any and all abilities are partially (or completely) blocked. Not only did this room render the Vessel ability-less, it also drained their energy slowly, the process only fastening when they tried to counter with their already weakened GAs.</p><p>Siyeon’s mind was always too hazy when she was sent here. She did well know the effects it had, the burnout it would lead to, and yet it never came as a thought to stop, <em>calm down and reflect</em>.</p><p>She’d rather embrace the darkness of sleep than the darkness of the Lockdown Wing.</p><p><span class="gmail_default"></span>════════════════</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>GAH-GMV Dorms, 3<sup>rd</sup> years’ floor, left district…</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>Retracting her hand from the green colored screen, Siyeon slowly lowers it to her side, her fingers fidgeting as a part of her mind told her to rip the annoying machine off of the wall.</p><p>“Welcome back, Vessel 101.”</p><p>With that, the door slid open, Siyeon unmoving as she glared at it, its dull colors agitating her, the thought of ripping it off and using it as a hoverboard being much more entertaining. Not that the two ‘guards’ patiently waiting behind her would even allow anything outside the rules to happen.</p><p>They looked patient, but Siyeon would never believe that. They always waited around the corner for her mistakes, just to punish her, to trigger her instability just so they could note down on an endless chart of data, all for their own gain, uncaring of what consequences they left behind while they walked ahead. Or did they purposefully leave them behind with her?</p><p>Taking a step forward, the door silently slid back closed, and Siyeon would like to consider it a barrier between her and the researchers. For now at least.</p><p>The room’s décor was still minimal, the girl having never found the motivation or the inspiration to actually change something in it. Her excuse was always that she “still had to wait for her future roommate”. The Vessels were all given spacious rooms, with all the possible necessities, so that no one could complain something was lacking or that someone else was living better. Yet this lonely surrounding still didn’t feel like <em>home</em>, not when she was still tied to her old room. Common emotions tied to a common person.</p><p>
  <em>But for them the common is uncommon, unlikely, unwanted.</em>
</p><p>Walking towards the bedroom, she raised an eyebrow, the usually empty bed of her ‘future roommate’ now having a white uniform on top of it. She recognized that as the first year Vessels’ uniform, so that meant her roommate was a 1<sup>st</sup> year, something utterly impossible.</p><p>(Or so it used to be, since now that she remembers, her friends are from different years too, yet share a room. The researchers would however argue that they are a special case, both losing their previous roommates or something like that.)</p><p>Brain already fried from the Anti-GAH waves of the Lockdown Wing, Siyeon plopped face first onto her own bed, the circumstances of her roommate becoming unimportant. It didn’t matter anyway. Roommates are not like blocks, as much as they will usually be divided into rooms close to one another. Roommates didn’t have to be blockmates nor teammates, so it didn’t matter if they got along or not (though the researchers would say that there is no reason for mature Vessels to not get along. Human emotions are not common.).</p><p>If the roommate proved to be too much she could just….</p><p>‘<em>No</em>.’ shooting up from her bed, Siyeon pushed herself off, running towards the door, almost tripping as she dived outside, spinning on her foot to turn the corner. She abruptly stopped and held her breath when patrolling bots flew over her head – running or the use of abilities being something the Researchers didn’t appreciate. Running off the second the bots disappeared, she swiftly looked around one last time before stopping in front of a door. Placing her palm on its cold surface, she moved it to the right, watching the door slide along with it.</p><p>“What the- Siyeon I swear, one of these days you’re gonna trigger the alarm!”</p><p>Yoohyeon can’t even continue scolding the girl – nor get out of bed properly – because the older girl is already on top of her, hugging her waist tightly while she buried her head on the crook of her neck. Siyeon takes a deep breath, releasing it slowly; the younger’s scent was oddly comforting.</p><p>Yoohyeon can only hug her back, patting her back gently. “It’s so dark in there, Yooh.” Siyeon’s voice is shaking, a shiver running down her spine.</p><p>“It’s over, you’re out now.” She whispered into her ear, a hand coming up to brush through her hair softly.</p><p>“They left me there for hours…” she said, her voice even lower this time, weaker, no barriers up around her vulnerability. “It’s really dark and I hate it there. I can’t breathe and I can’t move… I-”</p><p>“Hey, you’re at Yoohyeon and Bora’s room, not in Lockdown Wing. You know we’re here for you…” Yoohyeon had never been to Lockdown Wing. She didn’t know what it was like in there, or how it felt like to have your ability suppressed. Sometimes that fact made her sad, almost feeling inadequate or like she didn’t deserve her friends. They had all been through one of the dark sides of the Academy, but never Yoohyeon.</p><p>Would she end up in Lockdown or Isolation at some point too?</p><p>Would everyone? Or was it just a sick game directed at certain people?</p><p>Were they really living in the ‘perfect’?</p><p>Shaking her head, Yoohyeon throws those thoughts away. This was to comfort Siyeon, not herself. And if those thoughts ever got out, she couldn’t imagine how the Academy would react if they got word of them. The thoughts were alien, unlikely, unwelcomed.</p><p>“Hey so we got a new Vessel in the block.” The girl starts, stopping the motions over Siyeon’s back when the other shifts to lie comfortably beside her, taking her hand between her own as she pinched the skin occasionally. “Her name is Minji. Apparently she and Bora knew each-other.”</p><p>“They did?” Siyeon’s eyebrow raises, the name not ringing a bell and the two third years have been alongside each other for quite a long time. There was one nameless person she could remember Bora mentioning. It was someone she was stubborn on finding, as impossible as it turned out to be due to the researchers.</p><p>“Yea, Bora said they met about 3 years ago.” The older only nods, lowering her head comfortably on Yoohyeon’s shoulder, closing her eyes with a sigh. “Minji is funny, though now I feel bad because I technically laughed at some of her sufferings… She comes from the Isolation Wing, so it was entertaining to see Bora trying to explain everything to her.”</p><p>“I should just let you meet her.”</p><p>Siyeon hums, slowly dozing off. Yoohyeon notices, and tries to shift on her bed to find a more comfortable position for the two. It always pulled a string on her heart whenever she witnessed the Siyeon that left Lockdown. It pulled a string on her brain whenever she reminded herself there was nothing she could do to prevent it or make it any better.</p><p>So for now she would just hold Siyeon tightly until she slept.</p><p>“I promise tomorrow will be better.”</p><p><span class="gmail_default"></span>════════════════</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>The next day, Cafeteria…</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>Siyeon zips up her jacket, trying to make her head disappear into the collar while Bora continued to loudly laugh, only adding in to her embarrassment.</p><p>“Bora, people are looking.” She said, inwardly resisting the urge to facepalm.</p><p>“Whatever, they got nothing better to do and it’s nothing new anyway.” The illusionist doesn’t hold back, Siyeon knows she never has and never will.</p><p>“Won’t you be lonely in Isolation now that your buddy is out?”</p><p>At that Bora stopped to think for a moment. The two had already lined up in front of the many different food aisles, the third years having packed the space. It was better to go in with a full stomach; no one wanted an empty one.</p><p>“Speaking of my buddy...” Bora’s small hand grabs onto Siyeon’s sleeve, turning her attention towards the shorter girl. Following where her finger was pointing, the blue haired girl spots Yoohyeon entering the cafeteria, a slightly shorter, purple haired girl by her side. They were chatting between each-other, stopping only when the pretty stranger’s eyes lit up as she saw Bora (or the food?).</p><p>“Is that Minji?” Siyeon asked, not even getting an answer as Bora is already dragging her out of the queue, the younger now in a dilemma to follow or make a run for it because food.</p><p>Bora stops next to Yoohyeon, basically pushing Siyeon and Minji to face each-other. “Siyeon this is Minji. Minji this is Siyeon.” She says a bit too fast and way too excitedly, the blue haired girl noticing the confused glances Minji was shooting towards Bora’s glinting eyes. Siyeon scratches the back of her neck, smiling shyly as she let out a small “Hi.”</p><p>“Why is she suddenly shy?” Yoohyeon whispers for only Bora to hear.</p><p>“She has always been shy?” Bora doesn’t even bother lowering her volume.</p><p>“Wait what? How can I be sure this is not just an illusion you’re putting me through?”</p><p>“You want a piece of this, Tree?”</p><p>“Bring it, Shrimp.”</p><p>And thus none of the two noticed Siyeon guiding Minji towards the food line because they both shared the common interest of feeding their stomachs.</p><p>“By the way Minji,” Siyeon begins while she waits for the chef to fish out her favorite meal. “What rank are you? I can’t seem to find where your band is located.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s because I’m Rank1.” Minji casually says, making Siyeon cough as she almost spilled her drink.</p><p>“Wait really?” she wipes her chin, blinking at Minji, while the older tilts her head in slight confusion.</p><p>“Yeah. I know that the Academy usually keeps Rank1s in Isolation because they’re likely to develop Outcast characteristics, but I didn’t know it was this uncommon to see a Rank1 outside of it. Am I the first one?”</p><p>“Probably. So what’s your ability then?”</p><p>“I have none.” Minji looks down upon saying that, playing with her fingers nervously. Siyeon says nothing in return, only stretching her arm out so she could place her tray under Minji’s chin, where she can see it. Ah yea, almost forgot about food. “… and you?” the purple haired girl mutters, still hesitating to look into Siyeon’s eyes, rather preferring to stare at her (precious) food.</p><p>“Oh you’ll see.”</p><p>Making their way back to the other two, Siyeon sighs in relief at not having to witness Bora try to strangle Yoohyeon again.</p><p>“They seem to get along.” Bora muses while she leans her chin on Yoohyeon’s shoulder, her arms loosely around the younger’s waist.</p><p>“I guess it comes from their experiences.” Yoohyeon tries to joke. “They might just be the true ‘Isolation Buddies’.”</p><p>“Hey~!”</p><p>“Bora please, your last prank was just lame.”</p><p><span class="gmail_default"></span>════════════════</p><p>Minji remembers this arena in details. At least the details Bora was able to show her through her illusions back then. Whatever Siyeon had meant earlier had led to this place, so the Rank1 is blinking down at the cushioned seats of the amphitheatre-like arena, glyphs surrounding the open top of the fighting field.</p><p>“The third years always hold rounds here, while first years get to act as spectators.” Yoohyeon starts explaining, already having picked up on the older girl’s unspoken question. “I guess it works as a preview for what’s to come next year.”</p><p>“I’m not fighting today, so I’ll keep you two company.” Bora takes a seat next to the two, holding Siyeon’s jacket between her arms. “Sing on the other hand is, so she told me to warn you all. Said she’s preparing a performance.”</p><p>Before Siyeon’s turn comes, the trio sat through a few other duels, the two first years having at some point glued themselves to the glyphs shield. SuA could imagine stars in their eyes, all abilities displayed under them looking way too intriguing to the duo. One was simply too curious, the other was seeing everything for the first time.</p><p>“Alright you two, that’s enough.” Bora says, a smirk on her lips as she pulls the two by the backs of their jackets. “Stop whining, we still got rules here and there’s a certain level of elegance people just expect you to uphold.”</p><p>The illusionist isn’t even paying attention to the duels anymore, rather choosing to eye to purple haired girl from her peripherals. “If Minji doesn’t unlock her ability by next year, the two of you might end up together in the subcategory.” She says, turning to look at the two fighters being introduced. She recognizes one of them as the Pyrokinesis GMV from her block. “Today is only for Combat Type GMVs. For the rest, I included, there are battles were the two contestants are given a wide option of weapons to choose from. It’s more of a mind and physical strength battle for us then.”</p><p>“That’s why Bora randomly piggy-backs Siyeon despite her shrimp size.” Yoohyeon tries to whisper into Minji’s ear, but a smirk forms on her lips when the illusionist closes her eyes and exhales through her nose. “Jokes aside, Bora when is your Rank upgrading?”</p><p>A grunt of frustration. “I spent too much time in the Isolation Wing I missed half my exams and didn’t have enough time to practice.” Bora pinches the bridge of her nose, digging her nails into Siyeon’s jacket. “Damned sensitive researchers.”</p><p>“Will you ever take a break from trying to prank them?” Yoohyeon chuckles lightly, Bora sticking her tongue out at her. Minji smiles, she finds the atmosphere outside Isolation quite warm. It was like a weird pull at her being, but she felt she needed the interactions, like the two girls bickering brought light to her day. A light stronger than the ones coming from the numerous artificial sources all around them.</p><p>Isolation tended to be dark most of the time.</p><p>“Yoo, how’s Rank4 going?”</p><p>“They want me to figure out some fancy new thing and I literally can’t think of anything.” Yoohyeon groans, her head falling back against her seat. “I can literally become completely invisible, what do they want more than that?”</p><p>“Maybe make other things disappear?”</p><p>“I literally feel no connection to objects!” Yoohyeon sighs heavily, her head now falling onto Bora’s shoulder, snuggling her nose into the older’s hair. “This is so tiring.”</p><p>Bora patted her cheek, turning her attention to Minji, who sat by her other side. “You still don’t talk much, huh?” she poked the Rank1’s cheek, eyes narrowing in fake suspicion. Minji felt an urge in her and she followed it. The illusionist almost shrieks out loud at the older girl trying to bite her finger. “Weirdo.”</p><p>Minji grins, imitating Yoohyeon’s position as she also rests her head on the other’s shoulder. “You’re one to talk.”</p><p>“Which one of you two is trying to teach her how to talk back?”</p><p>The two only laugh, making the person between them cross her arms with a huff, a pout making its way onto her lips. The professor down the arena introduces the next fighter, the ability name of who is a long word Bora and Yoohyeon don’t even understand, while Minji starts wondering if this academy speaks multiple languages. Couldn’t they name it something easy like the other Vessel? Pyrokinesis?</p><p>The Fire Ability user makes sure to flex her rank, the red band against her left thigh awfully obvious and on show for everyone. Bora’s eye twitches at the loud and over confident attitude of the girl, taking a mental note to give her a lecture later at block meetings.</p><p>She also takes a mental note of every time Minji flinches when her fire licks at her opponent’s skin, the burnt aftermath seemingly leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.</p><p><span class="gmail_default"></span>════════════════</p><p>Siyeon is left to wait for the professor to call her name, back leaning against the entrance wall while her eyes try to catch a glimpse of her three friends. The arena was full as usual, but it shouldn’t be hard for her to find them – she just has to wait for Bora to yell or for Yoohyeon to scream in fear.</p><p>They were different from the usual, a very obvious wolf between clueless sheep. Sometimes it makes her question if the Academy had picked up on their movement or were they actually as clueless as they let on to be. Either option being right, neither meant they could slack off nor lower their guards.</p><p>“Siyeon Lee please step forward.” The professor standing in the center of the field motioned with his left hand, calling for her to enter the arena, at the same time motioning for her opponent to join them as well.</p><p>Crossing her arms over the arena jacket – which was only a modified version of her usual jacket sporting armor pads on different vital locations – she walks forward calmly, her eyes immediately finding those of her opponent. He’s buff, that is the first characteristic she picked up from looking him up and down.</p><p><em>Marvin</em>, she thinks she heard the professor say earlier, is not from her block, therefore she doesn’t know what ability he possesses. He looks too big to be able to outspeed her, so Siyeon would rather keep a safe distance until she’s sure she can take the boy down. The professor hasn’t named her ability, nor his, something that happens only when one side (or both) chooses to keep their ability hidden and inform the overseer beforehand.</p><p>He doesn’t want her to know.</p><p>“SIYEON KICK HIS ASS!”</p><p>“BORA SHUT UP!”</p><p>The Lee closes her eyes, arms still closed, a blush adoring her cheeks. <em>Those weirdos.</em></p><p>“Match begin!”</p><p>Did she even blink? Because the next second a fist collided harshly with the armor pad guarding her abdomen – Siyeon <em>swears</em> she heard it crack – and her body gets flung to the wall, leaving the girl coughing as she tries to regain her breathing.</p><p>She had underestimated him big time.</p><p>Marvin doesn’t waste any time to let her recover, already in front of her, his fist pulled back and ready to deliver a painful punch. Siyeon falls to the left, clumsily rolling on her side, palm firmly laid against the ground as she pushes her foot up towards the boy’s chest.</p><p>He falls back immediately, back-hand slapping Siyeon’s shoe so the momentum could drag her along. His foot connects next with the armor pad on her upper arm, the girl groaning while her body involuntarily rolls against the floor.</p><p>Looking from the audience seats, Minji is biting her bottom lip, hands balled into fists as her eyes shake with worry, following Siyeon’s every move. Or more like every move Marvin forced her to take.</p><p>Yet Yoohyeon and Bora seemed way too nonchalant. Yoohyeon occasionally cringed whenever Siyeon’s back would hit one of the arena’s walls, and the girl is sure her friend has been shoved on all sides of the circular shaped arena field.</p><p>“So Superspeed and Superstrength?” Yoohyeon asks, a hand coming up to her chin. “What rank do you think he is? Looks like the dude hid his Rank on purpose.”</p><p>“Three at best. Can’t really call it superspeed if I can still see him.” Bora answers, one of her hands freeing itself from Siyeon’s jacket to hold Minji’s shaking fist. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, she’ll be fine.”</p><p>“But she’s getting hurt…” Minji didn’t understand what the two meant. She had seen no display of abilities from Siyeon, and neither did she spot a band to indicate her rank. At that moment, Siyeon reminded her of herself.</p><p>“That… might be true. I’ll accept, the dude is playing it smart. He’s only touching the armor pads. Siyeon has a reputation, so he probably knows her.” The illusionist starts playing with Minji’s hands, leaning her head against the taller girl’s shoulder, little signs to show her that her new friend would be fine. “But he’s not playing it too smart. All he’s taking care of is himself… not everything else.”</p><p>“Besides Ji, give our Rank3 Combat Type Vessel a little credit.” Bora’s index finger toys with the collar of her jacket and Minji’s eyes instinctively shoot down towards Siyeon’s jacket.</p><p>
  <em>‘Oh…’</em>
</p><p>There, lying loosely around her neck and partially tucked under her jacket lay a black band, the color similar to her jacket and shirt making it hard to spot without having it as a goal to begin with.</p><p>Siyeon rolls her stiff shoulder around, furrowing her eyebrows as the movement hurt slightly more than she was comfortable with. Marvin raises an eyebrow at her, cracking his knuckles while eyeing down the younger girl, trying to use his aura to intimidate her. He wanted her to feel inferior. “Did you get enough of a beating?”</p><p>Siyeon moves her neck from side to side, wincing at the cracks she hears. “I will admit the pain has surpassed my comfortable levels, but it’s still not as much as I expected from a SSS-Vessel.”</p><p>“Oh, my apologies, I’ll finish you right away.” Marvin had given Siyeon plenty of space, he was wary of her. But now with a faint glow wrapping his fist, the Vessel kicked off once again, shooting towards Siyeon with a higher speed than before.</p><p>
  <em>“It’s over.” Bora whispers into Minji’s ear.</em>
</p><p>Siyeon only smirks, planting her palm against the cold wall behind her, the temperature change sending a shiver down her spine.</p><p>Gasps fill the arena, the newcomer 1<sup>st</sup> years in shock as the surrounding metal of the walls rips off noisily, the speed of their sudden movements almost on par with Marvin’s. He realizes too late, his attempts to kick and punch the pieces away turning out futile, the hard metal used specifically to not be broken or melted by the matches now wrapping him into a cocoon.</p><p>Perhaps the shiver she had felt came from finally using her ability freely ever since her last Lockdown tour. Siyeon’s smirk only widens, her steps slow and confident as she approaches the cocoon. The boy inside is still struggling, Marvin’s yells of frustration audible even though the metals didn’t budge.</p><p>His yells then turn to those of pain when the cocoon starts to shrink on itself, the smirk gradually morphing into a frown the closer Siyeon got. The moment she was within arm’s reach, she raised her hand up, the cocoon peeling itself layer by layer. Marvin drops to one knee, his eyes holding a mixture of both fear and frustration. When he sees his opponent’s shoes so close, he immediately tries to jump back and create space, but it’s already useless.</p><p>Everything stills.</p><p>“Stop immediately! Match ended!” the professor yells louder than on any of the previous matches, leaving the crowd to murmur in confusion. Siyeon sighs in relief, retracting her hand from Marvin’s chest, the boy falling onto his knees, blinking.</p><p><span class="gmail_default"></span>════════════════</p><p>Bora’s way to congratulate Siyeon is by throwing her jacket onto her face while yelling “That’s my girl!” at her. Siyeon chuckles, too tired to throw anything back.</p><p>“I need a massage after this.” The blue haired girl groans, falling into Yoohyeon’s embrace, who pats her back with a grin. “Yah! Did you have to wait so long? You got everyone worried there!”</p><p>“I said I’d put on a show.” Siyeon grins, her eyes fixed onto Minji’s own, giving her a thumbs up.</p><p>Minji’s mind was still a mess trying to piece itself together and understand what she just witnessed. But it all came blank when she tried to explain the sudden twist the ending had taken. “What… happened?” she asks timidly, breaking the eye-contact as the longer she stares, the more nervous those sharp orbs make her. “Why did the professor stop it? Until then it was always on unconsciousness or forfeit…”</p><p>“I…” Siyeon sounds hesitant with that one word. Bora joins Yoohyeon’s side and also pats her shoulder, a silent sign that it was okay. She trusted her and she could trust them. “I’m a… Psychokinesis user…” she says, smiling softly at the purple haired girl. “I’m still Rank3 because my ability requires me to have touched a part of the object beforehand. But once I do, everything will obey me.”</p><p>Minji stays rooted in place, her hands clammy, heat uncomfortably coursing through her body, her stomach flipping to the point of nausea. For a second she has a flash in front of her eyes, the image in front of her morphing into a Vessel and two faceless objects surrounding her, their outcasted shapes all too ready to serve her.</p><p>
  <em>“Everything.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">Vessel 101 <br/>Siyeon Lee, Age 19<br/>GMV-GAH<br/>GA: Psychokinesis<br/>Rank3</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>To whoever is still here, thank you for reading. I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Please leave a comment if you can, they really mean a lot.<br/>Now the usual vocabulary! While there is no new abbreviation (haha... unless I forgot something...), Rank3's color is Black, while for Rank4 it's Red. SSS-Vessel stands for SuperStrength/Speed, a.k.a not actually important XD.<br/>Feel free to ask if you have any questions :)</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>so em... that's the prologue.... this story is thought of to be either medium length or long XD. Not completely clear yet... was it any cool sounding? The prologue is just an introduction to the world and one of our characters so don't worry, the interesting parts have yet to come.<br/>With that note, I'll leave her some... 'vocabulary' which you might read here and there throughout the story (more will be added later ig):<br/>GMV: Genetically manipulated vessel<br/>GMV-GAH(yeon- jkjk): GMV-Genetic ability holder<br/>GM Chart: Gen Manipulations Chart<br/>GA: Genetic Ability<br/>Rank1-5: Rank of  their ability, describes the strength, reach and control usually.<br/>P.S: I didn't add any ships did you notice... yea... should I add them in a mess so nothing gets spoiled or do i save them fro later XD</p></blockquote></div></div>
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